William O. Spivey, #K-81482 v. Lt. Chapman

Plaintiff, an inmate currently in the Menard Correctional Center, filed the instant action while he was housed in the Pinckneyville Correctional Center. Plaintiff brings this action for deprivations of his constitutional rights pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This case is now before the Court for a preliminary review of the complaint pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, which provides, in pertinent part:

(a) Screening.-- The court shall review, before docketing, if feasible or, in any event, as soon as practicable after docketing, a complaint in a civil action in which a prisoner seeks redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental entity.

(b) Grounds for Dismissal.-- On review, the court shall identify cognizable claims or dismiss the complaint, or any portion of the complaint, if the complaint--

(1) is frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted; or

(2) seeks monetary relief from a defendant who is immune from such relief.

28 U.S.C. § 1915A.

An action or claim is frivolous if "it lacks an arguable basis either in law or in fact." Neitzke v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 (1989). An action fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted if it does not plead "enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face." Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007).

Plaintiff's original complaint, a portion of which is reviewed below, was filed on August 31, 2010, under Case Number 10-cv-689. That complaint contained many unrelated claims brought against a number of defendants. On March 1, 2011, this Court informed Plaintiff that it would sever the unrelated claims in his complaint into new suits unless he dismissed those claims. When Plaintiff failed to dismiss the claims, the Court severed them, which resulted in the instant action being opened before the Court on April 20, 2011. See Doc. 1.

Upon careful review of the complaint and any supporting exhibits, the Court finds that a portion of the claims in this complaint are subject to dismissal.

Facts:

At an unspecified time, while Plaintiff was working as a laundry porter, he approached Defendant Chapman, asking for his Sabbath off from work. Defendant Chapman refused to give Plaintiff this day off, and told him that if he took the day off anyway, he would receive a disciplinary ticket. Plaintiff later made this same request of Defendant Flag, who also refused the request.

After having his request denied, Plaintiff spit on the wall in frustration, and told the surrounding inmates that "they do have rights in prison." Defendant Sager witnessed this tantrum, and wrote Plaintiff a disciplinary ticket. Plaintiff was thereafter sent to a ...

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